“Comfortable Enough to be Fully Themselves”

I first heard of In-Sight when I was 10 years old. A friend had started taking classes and I remember holding their Pentax k1000 when a feeling I had never felt before suddenly overcame me. In 7th grade I took an after school partnership class with In-Sight, which I loved every second of and I realized photography was what I wanted to do. 

Photography became how I wanted to express myself and communicate with the confusing world around me. I signed up for every class I could (I’ve lost count of how many polaroids of myself are on the wall) and I am forever grateful for the role In-Sight had in my adolescent years. It was one of the only places where I felt completely and fully welcome. 

During the summer of 2021, I worked as an intern and I had my first teaching experiences. I very quickly realized how important it is to meet kids where they are, and how happy they are when given the artistic materials to express themselves. My first teaching experiences were at our pop up cyanotype workshops which took place in different neighborhoods throughout Brattleboro including Ledgewood Heights and Moore Court.

These experiences stuck with me throughout my service with Americorps and the after school program coordinator position. They taught me the most important thing I could do for a young person was to give them the opportunity and resources to be expressive. Opportunity and resources they would not have had without In-Sight.

Every child deserves to express themselves through art. Photography is especially an important tool for self expression because it provides youth with pathways for overcoming self consciousness. My favorite part of this job has been seeing kids grow in their confidence and expression, when they learn how a camera works and become more connected with their classmates. I feel like every class is a little family by the end, where they all are comfortable enough to be fully themselves.